These guidelines have been approved by the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Task Force of the AGC Construction Education Committee in accordance with the ASC/AGC National Student Competition (NSC) Agreement dated October 6, 2007. Each of the seven ASC regions shall have autonomy in the procedures and guidelines to conduct their respective regional competitions. ASC/AGC Task Force:

There shall be a Task Force consisting of three voting AGC representatives and three voting ASC representatives as appointed by their respective organizations. Other (Advisors) may be appointed at the mutual consent of the chairs. The Task Force's responsibility shall be to:

• Identify sponsors for the NSC Division Problem, awards and other areas as needed.
• Establish criteria for Sponsor selection.
• Establish criteria for Sponsor awards to the top three teams in each Division.
• Assist the Division Sponsors as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with the competition guidelines and timeline.
• Ensure compliance with the ASC/AGC National Student Competition (NSC) Agreement.

NSC Divisions:

Each Division shall have a problem designed by the Division Sponsor from real-life projects or project scenarios. Under no circumstances shall a problem be reused or be duplicated from any other competition, including the regional competitions or other industry competitions.

Currently, there are three National Student Competition Divisions: Commercial Building, Heavy Civil, and Design-Build. Divisions may be modified, added or replaced, so long as both ASC and AGC mutually agree and these modifications meet the terms of the ASC/AGC NSC Agreement.

Division Sponsors shall have had the experience of sponsoring a regional competition before being selected to sponsor a national competition problem.

Division Sponsors cannot sponsor a regional competition and a national competition in the same academic year. Exceptions to this rule must be by the mutual agreement of the ASC/AGC task force.

Division Sponsors shall select judges that have not in a three year period judged a regional competition, and develop judging criteria and rules for their division.

NSC Teams:

Each ASC region may send one team per Division. A team consists of six eligible students and one faculty coach. Specifically, the following criteria will apply to all teams:

• The ASC is responsible to qualify each team for the NSC. Regional Directors are to report winning teams by region and division. These reports are sent to the ASC 2nd Vice President for verification and official transmittal to the AGC.
• All students competing at the NSC must be the same students who competed at the regional level.
• Each team shall consist of not more than six student members.
• Each team member must be present at the NSC registration and Opening Reception. Any late or non-responsive team member(s) unless excused for emergency situations, such as air travel delay, will not be allowed to participate in the NSC.
• Other students not on a qualified team are welcome to attend the NSC Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony as an audience member, but are not allowed in the Division Sponsor rooms, the team's working room or to assist the teams in any other way.
• All additional students and guests must be registered with AGC prior to the NSC. Admittance to some events may require payment of a fee for these additional students and guests. This fee will be the responsibility of the individual or school, not the AGC or ASC.
• If, for some reason, an original team member cannot participate, the team must go forward without that team member. Substitutions are not allowed at the NSC. No substitutions or additions may be made to the team composition after the start of their respective regional competition.
• All team members are expected to contribute to the problem solution, including the presentation.
• All team members shall have been enrolled undergraduates (full-time students) in an ASC member program at the time of the Regional competition. (Exception for Design-Build teams: The design members of the team may be students enrolled in any college program.)

Coaches:

Each regional winning team must have a designated coach who will accompany the team to the NSC and be present at registration. Teams without a coach present during this designated time may be disqualified. The coach must reside in the same hotel as his/her team.

Once the competition begins, the coach's role is limited to ensuring the competition rules are being followed. No direct input from outside the team shall be allowed after the problem solving period begins. Coaches are not allowed in any student team rooms or otherwise allowed to communicate with the team except for an emergency, such as medical, unrelated to the competition. Violations of any of the NSC rules shall result in immediate disqualification of the violating team and debarment of that school from competing in the NSC for one year.

Travel and Per Diem Expenses:

AGC will provide all NSC teams with reasonable funding for travel to and from the NSC and accommodations on site. In addition, AGC will provide each qualified team with a reasonable per diem allowance for meals during their travel to and from the NSC. AGC will mail checks for travel and per diem to the team coaches.

Accommodations:

AGC will provide hotel rooms for members of all qualified teams, including students and coaches, for a minimum of 3 nights at no charge to the teams or their schools. AGC will assign no more than two persons per room, or one person in a room if the team does not include another person of the same gender.

The teams or individuals will be responsible for all costs related to incidental charges and extended stays.

Equipment:

At their expense, teams are allowed to use whatever equipment and publications they bring or ship to the competition site. There shall be no outside assistance, whether solicited or not, accepted from any group, individual, association, contractor, or other outside entity, including the Internet, by any participating NSC team. For the presentations, one computer, one overhead projector, one computer projection device, and one flip chart are allowed. Plotters are NOT allowed. Printers over 11 x 17 are not allowed. AGC will provide for each Division of the NSC a LCD projector, projection screen, and one flip chart with markers.

Proposals:

Team proposals should include only the information necessary to explain the team's solution to the problem. Proposals should not include fictitious team or team member professional experience information. Proposals should be printed according to the Division Sponsor's rules and guidance.

Presentations:

Teams are expected to provide all materials needed for their presentation. Presentation materials may enhance, explain and clarify proposal packages. They may not alter information presented in their proposal package. Each team member must speak during the presentation. No team member may record another team's presentation. Students and coaches of each team are NOT allowed to observe oral presentations of any of the three divisions. Team presentations must adhere to the allowed time frame. At the end of the presentation period, the timekeeper will stop the presentation. At the end of a question and answer period, teams will be allowed to finish answering the current question.

Awards:

Awards from the Division Sponsors shall be provided for first, second and third place teams and team members. Awards from AGC shall be made to the students and coaches of the first place winning teams. Monetary awards may be provided to the winning team program, department, or educational institution. All NSC participants will receive an individual gift or memento recognizing participation in the NSC.

AGC shall also recognize the first place winners from each division during its Annual Convention in front of the contractor member audience.

Compliance:

Failure to fully comply with these guidelines or to work in a spirit of cooperation shall be grounds for renegotiation of sponsor status by the NSC Task Force.

Alcohol and Drugs:

Due to the educational nature of the NSC, use of alcohol or drugs, except prescription medicine or over-the-counter medicines, by any students participating in the competition, whether a student is the legal age or not, is prohibited at any time after the teams arrive at the site of the NSC. Alcohol shall not be served or present at any of the NSC events, such as the Opening Reception or Awards Ceremony.

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